Deprivation of liberty, in particular in relation to armed conflicts, poses a range of humanitarian and legal challenges. In many parts of the world, persons deprived of their liberty face dire conditions of detention and ill-treatment, caused by structural shortcomings in justice and prison systems or violations of basic detainee protections. Such situations become more serious in times of armed conflicts, where States or other actors, face resource restraints and high numbers of detainees.

The Round Table, organized in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, will gather together military experts, academics and representatives of governments, international organizations and NGOs from different regions of the world including. It will provide the opportunity to discuss key themes of IHL, such as the legal basis and the grounds and procedures for deprivation of liberty during armed conflicts, as well as the treatment and conditions reserved to detainees. Some specific challenges, such as the transfer of detainees in multinational operations, detention by non-state actors and migration-related detention will be also addressed.